


Soft season

by birbteef



Category: Transformers - All Media Types, Transformers: Prime, Transformers: Robots in Disguise (2015)
Genre: Alcohol, Breakdown isn't dead because fuck that, Drabbles, Gen, M/M, Not Canon Compliant, Science Experiments, Transformer Sparklings
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-05-17
Updated: 2017-12-05
Packaged: 2018-11-01 22:39:09
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 12
Words: 12,272
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10931481
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/birbteef/pseuds/birbteef
Summary: A collection of gen fic drabble requests featuring Wildbreak as a KOBD baby for that good good soft content. Chapter titles and tags will be updated as new chapters gets added.





	1. Sleep training Wildbreak

They had been prepared to handle a baby. As much as any reasonable couple would, they made room and studied as much as possible for when it would actually happen. Knock Out had more interaction with children than Breakdown did, having to oversee their development and care in the medical wing when something went wrong. So on the technical aspects, Knock Out felt he was more than ready to handle this new child. 

For the most part, he was. Breakdown carried successfully, the egg hatched fine, there were no hitches in the plan during the hard parts where the bad hitches happened. The problems came later.

Wildbreak would go to work with one of them, either nestled safely in Breakdown’s chest or in Knock Out’s seats between the wheels on his back. He was perfect, sleeping most of the time he was in public with exception to coo and bat at strangers hands who got curious. He was soft and wiggly, easy to make laugh, and generally a very good baby when you only had to see him for a couple of minutes.

The trouble came at night, when there was no longer the constant stimulation of a work place, and dads had to sleep. While he was still a bitlet, he mostly slept and it had been fine. He slept during the day and during the night and really only woke to eat or fuss. But now he was older, and knew that things happened when given certain cues to do so. Mostly, that crying would summon a dad. 

Both Knock Out and Breakdown could tell that he was just being fussy by a certain point. There wasn’t anything actually wrong, he just didn’t want to sleep and being left alone was undesirable. There had been a routine of course, several weeks of putting the kid to sleep in the evening to get woken up an hour or so later and rinse and repeat till dawn. But now he was older, he wasn’t a baby any more, and should have started growing out of the neediness that accompanied bed time. 

Tonight was Breakdown’s night to gently rock the toddler. He wasn’t crying any more, but certainly wasn’t sleeping either. He stared up at breakdown, large eyes watching him intently as the bot yawned. 

“Dad?”

Breakdown grunted, looking down at his son. “Hey kid. You gonna sleep some time tonight?”

“Brmmmloo. Dad? Dad? Mmmm Dad?”

“Yeah, something like that.” He yawned again. “Kiddo I’m tired, aren’t you tired too?”

Wildbreak blinked, papping breakdown’s arm with his tiny hand. “Brummm bau. Daw.”

Breakdown stared out the window, shuffling his child in his arms gently. “I have an idea. You wanna hear it? You can’t wake Knock Out though.”

“Nockau?”

“Yeah. Daddy. You gotta be quiet.” He held a finger up over his lip plates, making sure his son understood. “Can you be quiet?” He had no idea if his kid actually knew what he was asking of him, but he could hope. 

The baby burbled for a few seconds but then hushed, gripping Breakdown’s arm with his little claws as he stood up.

He carried his kid across the room and opened the door, giving a soft reminder shush as he stepped out, entering into the main room of the shared habsuite. It was a small suite really, three adjoining rooms mainly meant for housing one officer, not an entire family. They made it work though, converting the living area into a bedroom for themselves, and the bedroom to a nursery. The kitchen remained a kitchen and gained a couch in the corner. It was cramped and small, but they were happy enough with it. He hoped Wildbreak would stay quiet, slowly climbing into bed with Knock Out as he cradled his son one handed. 

“That was fast.” came Knock Out’s thick voice, full of recent sleep he would soon return to. 

“I didn’t get him to bed. He’s with me.” Replied Breakdown. “I think he’ll be good.”

Knock Out didn’t respond, just rolled over to give Breakdown some stink eye.

“He’s being good.” Breakdown pulled the covers up, yawning yet again as he pressed himself into the bed. “I just want to sleep.”

“You’ll teach him bad habits. He’ll want to sleep here all the time.” Knock Out replied, giving his son a very loving nuzzle as Wildbreak crawled to curl up in his shoulder pauldron. 

“I don’t know that this is worse than him crying all the time. If it lets me sleep I don’t...care.”

Knock Out grunted a non committal reply, seemingly fine with letting their child stay there for the night. 

\--

Breakdown woke with a tiny palm papping his face right in the middle. He growled gently and grabbed the hand, pulling his very awake son off of his chest. His chronometer told him it was two minutes till his alarm went off anyway, so he was having a hard time being truly upset about it. Wildbreak had slept for more than two hours straight, it was probably a record.


	2. Wildbreak has a date

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Wildbreak has a date and Breakdown doesn't know how to feel about it.

Breakdown rubbed the bridge of his noseguard, waiting for Knock Out to come home. He'd poured himself a drink, nothing too stiff, but enough he'd have to sip at it slow.

Knock Out came through the door backside first, arms full of datapads and comm link on. "I just don't see why he can't take care of it himself?" he said to the unidentified mech on the other end. "Uh-huh I get that, no, I understand." He set the datapads on the counter top, flashing Breakdown an exasperated look to inform him he wanted out of the comm call. "No, that's not my job! Tell him if he wants something like that done to do it himself. I'm home now, I'm off work!"

He reached down to Breakdown's drink, giving it a swirl in the glass before giving him a questioning glance. Breakdown nodded back and Knock Out tipped it back. He screwed his face up, clearly not realizing it had been high grade before whispering, "What the fuck!?" at Breakdown. Followed by a quick "No! No, not you. My partner did something, please continue" into the comm.

Breakdown let out a snort, clearly amused. He pointed at the seat next to himself, scooting over a little as Knock Out fell into his place there. "Okay, well listen. Like I said I'm home now, I have things I need to do. I'll be in tomorrow morning just like everyone else, come see me then." a long pause followed the statement. "Uh-huh buh bye." He finally said, tapping the side of his head to end the comm.

He let out a deep guttural moan, twisting to the side and falling in Breakdown’s lap. “Welcome home.” Came Breakdown’s first words to him.

“What the hell are you drinking?”

“I don’t know. The bottle’s unmarked. Who’re you talking to?”

“Did you make it a habit to drink out of unmarked bottles? And I honestly don’t know. A vehicon I think, he didn’t tag his comm signature but I recognize the voice. He wants access to the medlab for something or other, I don’t even know. It’s Soundwave’s job to grant that, not mine, that’s what i’ve told him.”

Breakdown shrugged, rubbing at Knock Out’s little white audials. “It came from your cabinet.”

“The high grade?”

“Yea”

“Oh, who knows what it is then. I don’t have a clue what I’ve got in there anymore.” He hummed slightly, “It’s not...medical grade is it? I don’t want to go blind.”

Breakdown laughed, “Nah, that’s all labelled.”

“So why are we drinking, what’s the occasion?”

“Not...an occasion necessarily.”

Knock Out cocked his head to the side, sitting up slightly in Breakdown’s lap. “What’s wrong? Did something happen?”

“I think our son has a date.” Breakdown replied after a second’s thought.

“Ohhh, Thank Primus.” Knock Out flopped back down on the lap.

“Thank Primus!?” Breakdown exclaimed.

Knock Out started laughing, “You’re in here drinking alone because our son has a date? You had me worried someone maybe died, Mortillus bless.”

Breakdown stared dumbfounded at his partner. “Yeah, he has a date, he’s...too young for that.”

“I had been on plenty of dates by the time I was his age, It’s nice to know he’s getting out more.”

“Yeah but that’s...you. You grew up on the backend of Velocitron. He’s him. He’s all soft.”

Knock Out hummed gently. “The only way he’ll get not-soft is by doing things like this. He gets that from you, by the way. You’re the soft one”

Breakdown grunted at him, “Not the point. He’s just...young is all. He’s still living in our habsuite.”

“You can tell him no, you know. You’re still his father.” Knock Out replied. “Personally, I think it’s fine, but if you truly object I won’t stop you.”

Breakdown grumbled a bit, returning his hands to Knock Out’s thin audials. “Do you really think this is alright? We dunno who he’s out with.”

Knock Out nuzzled into his hand, “So we can ask him when he gets home for dinner, of which I assume he would send a comm if he intended on skipping, which he hasn’t.” He sighed softly, “Besides, it’s not like he knows anyone who isn’t aboard this ship. Unless he’s found a way to somehow meet an Autobot, which I consider extremely unlikely, we probably know who he’s off with.”

Breakdown considered that for a moment. “So...we probably know them?”

“I can’t think of any reason why we wouldn’t? I mean maybe not specifically /know know/ them, but if nothing else I’ve probably given them a checkup or you’ve gone on mine duty with them. Something. Everyone on this ship passes through us.”

“There are a few drones about his age, actually. They’re all a little older, from the last hatching.”

“Not too old though, he’s probably off with one of them. Ohhhhh, Breakdown!” Knock Out’s tone changed to excitement, “What if they’re off racing?”

“I thought you told him you didn’t want him going to the surface?”

“Comme ci comme ça, I never expected him to follow it as rigidly as he does. I don’t think there was a single day I didn’t try to sneak out when I was his age.”

“Again, you grew up in a very different environment than him. It was probably safer for you on the streets than the roost.”

Knock Out shrugged. “I hope he’s out racing or something of the equivalent. It’d be good for him to get out and have some fun. That’s all I’m saying.”

Breakdown didn’t know how to respond, Knock Out seemed so alright with their son going out and he was nothing but nervous about it. Maybe it would be good, they could ask him about it over dinner.


	3. Starscream does science

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Emergency baby sitter Starscream doesn't know what to do with Wildbreak. Some science ensues.

Knock Out was at work and Breakdown was on call. They had tried as hard as they could to make sure one of them was always free till Wildbreak was older and could be left alone. For now though, he was still far too young and needed a constant eye on him. 

Breakdown cradled him delicately in his chest, listening to the soft occasional beeping he made in his sleep. He was reading data maps for the mines, hopefully trying to put together a more effective mining schedule for his squad of vehicons. He wanted them all to get a decent amount of time off while also doing what they preferred to do. He knew how hard their jobs were, and also knew no other officer was going to do this for them.

It was going alright, he got the stations allotted and was about to get to work on time schedules when he got an urgent ping with EMERGENCY pinned as the title. He opened it without thinking, reading the message in shock. A cave-in, several vehicons still alive but unable to get out. His assistance (along with Knock Out, who was CC’d and asked to prep medbay) was requested. He reread it a few times in his processor before getting up and trying to contact someone to watch his son. 

Knock Out couldn’t do it, as he would be holed up in the medbay with the incoming miners, and all the Vehicons he considered himself close enough friends with were either not on board the ship at the moment, or were actively at work. He swore under his breath, stepping out into the hall. He couldn’t take Wildbreak with him, a mine was no place for a hatchling, let alone a collapsed one.

He stopped to scan over the officer listing, hoping to find Dreadwing was off duty. They weren’t particularly good friends but he had the utmost faith that he could watch a sparkling. Breakdown wouldn’t have said it out loud but he suspected the large seeker had probably raised a few of his own at some point. 

To his dismay the only other officers off duty were Soundwave and Starscream. Of the two, Soundwave was the natural choice but he had his ‘OFF SHIP’ tag pinged as active. Breakdown swore again. 

Breakdown didn’t dislike Starscream. He had saved him from MECH and tended to leave him alone. He needled at Knock Out on occasion which bothered Breakdown, but for the most part the two of them had an understanding of sorts. 

He sent the seeker a reluctant ping asking for his location, tagged it with ‘URGENT’, and waited.

He received a questioning glyph, and then another with Starscream’s berth room coordinates. Breakdown took off in a sprint, transforming into his alt mode after a hot second and sped down the hall.

 

\---0---

 

Starscream was having a fairly boring afternoon. He had the shift off, but didn’t quite feel like going out and doing anything with it. He knew Soundwave was probably out flying with Lazerbeak, teaching her something as good carriers do. But flying wasn’t something he felt like doing at the moment. He was allowed to do nothing if he wanted to! There was no reason he should have to be doing anything at all.

He sighed heavily and resigned himself to his berth. It wasn’t a nest, but a few months of stealing sheets from the laundry room was able to get him something sort of close. He was able to flop over in it, which was good enough. He rested his chin on the edge and peeked out over the top to watch the holoscreen. The Earthen movie was something Knock Out had given him and he wasn’t particularly enjoying it. He didn’t see the appeal the doctor did in these things. 

He had just shut the movie off when he received a comm from Breakdown. He sent what was asked of him but was confused as to why the stunticon would possibly need him. Perhaps Knock Out wanted his movie back and was sending his husband after it? There was no information given in the comm. 

He rolled around in his nest, lamenting needing to get up but did any way. He didn’t dislike Breakdown, and found him one of the few officers on the ship who wouldn’t try to torment him at any given moment. He’d like to keep a good standing with at least someone, regardless of his slowly deteriorating camaraderie with Knock Out. He’d probably have to stop taking his anger out on the doctor at some point but he was just too easy to get at. Low hanging fruit was always the easiest swiped.

He heard a horrible screech of tires outside followed by a transformation cog, a few heavy steps, and then very aggressive pounding at his door. A shock of fear actually rolled down his frame, and he very cautiously stepped forwards to answer the door. He couldn’t think of anything he would have done to anger the SUV, but at the same time he knew there were a few things he’d done to Knock Out that may have gotten him angry enough if the doctor had spun the story a little.

Regardless, he steeled himself and stood tall as he opened the door. He took an invent to yell at Breakdown but was interrupted. A very worried EM field battered against him and he found himself with something pressed against his chest, his arms coming up to hold it subconsciously.

“Starscream! I’ll be back shortly! Please watch him I’ll make it up to you!” Breakdown exclaimed and then ran off, transforming into his alt mode and speeding down the corridor.

“What?” Starscream whispered, watching him go. It wasn’t what he had expected at all.

He finally peeled his eyes away from the tire tracks left outside his door to look at whatever little bundle Breakdown had shoved at him. He met two bright yellow optics and a very weak EM field that broadcasted curiosity. 

“Brmmmmmm hallo?” It burbled at him and Starscream almost yelled. He quickly shut his door and held the child at arms length, getting a good look at him. Knock Out had told him very bluntly he never wanted Starscream around his child, and now Breakdown had just handed him to him?

The little thing squirmed, very clearly not liking being held by it’s armpits. Starscream slowly brought the child to his chest again, giving him a good stare. “What am I going to do with you?” He pondered aloud. “Your carrier said he’d be back, so I’m assuming this won’t take long. Your daddy won’t like it though. Not at all. What to do with you. I can’t say I was his first choice…”

He checked the crew manifest, seeing that Soundwave was out, but also there was a massive mine collapse. He thought it was strange he hadn’t been pinged for it but Breakdown’s panicked hurry made sense with that new information. “I haven’t held a sparkling in vorns, you know that?” 

“No?” came the tiny voice, glyphless and without modifiers for command or alt. A clear indicator of a shaky grasp on the language used by a sparkling, and yet he still spoke. Starscream remarked he must be a fairly smart kid. 

Little claws gripped into Starscream’s arm plating, playing with the missile attachment. “Do you like that?” Starscream asked after a moment.

Wildbreak gave him a quick bob of his head, bringing one hand into his mouth as the other still fiddled with the missile.

Starscream grinned, so the kid liked mechanical stuff, he could work with that. “Does...your daddy ever take you to the labs?”

Wildbreak looked up, still sucking on his hand and trying to process what Starscream had said. His faint little EM field projected his confusion till he finally shook his head no. “No labs.”

“You’re a smart kid, you know. Especially for a grounder. Do you know what a lab /is/?” Wildbreak nodded his head. “Good, good. I used to do science, you know.” He hefted the sparkling into his pauldron, opening the door again to step into the hallway. “I was pretty alright at it, actually. It wasn’t for me, but I think I know some stuff that you may enjoy.”

 

\---0---

 

Wildbreak was easily fascinated by simple lab tricks Starscream could concoct. He made a few liquids change color, and produced some foam by pouring a powder into a beaker. The little hatchling gasped and crowed each time, so impressed by Starscream’s abilities. He found it nice, actually, to have someone clap their fat little hands each time he would do something, even if he messed it up a little. Wildbreak was overjoyed and Starscream found himself thankful for it. 

When he had first learned Knock Out and Breakdown were having a child he wanted nothing to do with it. He had kept his distance only partially because Knock Out had freaked out whenever someone came close, the other part was because he, frankly, didn’t think he liked sparklings. Getting the genuinely excited and loving feedback from this one though, made him almost reconsider. He didn’t want one of his own, after the abuse he’d suffered he wasn’t even sure if he could carry anymore anyway, but he certainly wouldn’t be going out of his way to avoid Wildbreak any more. No, this child was a delight.

Wildbreak tried for the third time to pull his goggles off, and Starscream patiently put them back on him. “You have to keep those on or your parents will get mad. Come on now.” He tugged them back down, protecting the hatchling’s eyes. “Watch this. Stay in my pauldron.”

He poured two clear liquids together, holding his shoulder down slightly so Wildbreak could peer over the edge of the pauldron. He beeped excitedly, bouncing slightly in anticipation. Starscream swirled the liquid around and set it on the burner, watching as it slowly turned bright orange and then oxidized into black. It was something he learned in chemistry 101, an easy trick from a long time ago. He hadn’t played around like this in so long though it felt amazing to be back in the lab, doing at least some kind of work.

His thoughts drifted to his old lab partners and how they were doing. He had lost track of them after he dropped out to join the revolution. Starscream had no idea where they were now.

He got a ping, just in time as Wildbreak started to calm down from his excitement from the last experiment. It was a location request from Breakdown again, giving him a very apologetic heading.

Starscream sighed, knowing he’d have to act angry to keep up appearances. 

This was the happiest he’d been in a long time.


	4. Soundwave and Lazerbeak meet the child

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Soundwave and Lazerbeak meet Wildbreak.

Wildbreak was still incredibly small when he met the rest of the crew. Knock Out had been keeping everyone updated, whether they wanted the updates or not, but by the time Breakdown finally emerged from their shared suite with a little sparkling peeking out of his chest they gave him at least some modicum of attention. 

He was really only a few weeks old at this point. He didn’t know any neocybex, but could beep small call-and-responses in binary. It didn’t mean anything, he had a special little trill for when he was hungry or wanted to sleep. For the most part though his little beeps and calls were nonsense. 

Soundwave in particular found it secretly fascinating. He hadn’t given Breakdown much attention aside from noting that he looked tired. He could understand that, having made and raised his own symbiotes. Wildbreak wasn’t a symbiotic drone, but he assumed that the process was similar. 

The little thing mostly just slept in Breakdown’s chest or in a booster pack between Knock Out’s wheels. They did try to keep him off the bridge, but given they couldn’t truly leave him alone sometimes Wildbreak just wound up coming with them during officer meetings. During their first meeting Soundwave had made eye contact with the little hatchling, flashing up a very quick face on his visor. Wildbreak giggled shyly and turtled back down into Breakdown’s chest, not sure how to handle attention yet. Breakdown had needlessly apologized, saying that he was just shy. Soundwave understood.

The second time was a little more formal. With the relics were being decoded and uncovered the command bridge got a lot more hectic. They were being given assignments, which they all knew was useless for the most part since they knew what they would be doing anyway. Megatron was making up a game plan, seemingly more so to psych himself up than actually give information to any of his officers.

Soundwave had been assigned to communication duty. He really wasn’t surprised, but if it made his leader happy to say predictable repetitive nonsense out loud, he wouldn’t stop him. Megatron was currently telling Starscream something he probably already knew when the little trilling started. 

Most of them elected to ignore it, understanding that babies make noise and sometimes this is unavoidable. He wasn’t screaming or crying, just talking little nonsense baby talk. Knock Out reached behind his back, giving the little booster pack a quick couple of pats to try and quiet his child.

Wildbeak only babbled more earnestly, getting louder to a point that could hardly be ignored.

Megatron finally broke his speal from Starscream, instead turning to the doctor. “Knock Out, I permit you to have your brood on the bridge, trusting you can keep it quiet.” 

“I am fully aware, Lord Megatron. Normally I’m able to-” He papped the pack and Wildbreak squealed as if they were playing a game, “keep him quieter.”

Soundwave grinned internally, sending a little pulse to Lazerbeak. He remembered when she would do things like that, not babble per se, as she could not speak, but in general just be a sparkling. It was endearing.

He could tell Megatron was frustrated, but not mad about it. The tyrant liked kids, as much as he would like to pretend he didn’t. 

He remembered their ancient talks in the mines and the pit, about their futures when they didn’t know there was going to be a war. Megatronus had actively liked kids, didn’t necessarily want any, but liked them. He liked performing in the pit and hearing cheers and calls from the amazed children in the stands. Megatron, though harder and colder, probably still liked sparklings as well. Soundwave hadn’t talked to him about those kinds of things in a long time, but he had his suspicions.

Lazerbeak sent him a lazy little ping, simply questioning Wildbreak’s presence on the bridge. Soundwave replied through the bond that Breakdown was out on a scouting mission, leaving the child with his sire. It was simply unfortunate timing that a meeting had been called during Breakdown’s leave. 

Megatron was back talking to Starscream while Knock Out gently patted the happily yelling bundle on his back. Lazerbeak sent Soundwave a request to detach. He didn’t know what she was going to do but let her out anyway, silently stepping backwards unnoticed by the rest of the crew. He realized he could probably just leave and they wouldn’t notice, which gave him amusement, but resigned to leaning on the wall as Lazerbeak lifted off his chest.

She was silent, and drifted gently over to Wildbreak in the pack. Starscream looked over, furrowing his brows but said nothing about it. Megatron either didn’t notice or didn’t care. 

The sparkling coo’d and tried to pap her with a fat hand, missing slightly. She docked onto the back of the pouch, sticking her head in it to butt up against the sparklings. He was still a moment, before wrapping his little arms around her in a limited modicum of a hug. 

Soundwave took a picture. He considered a moment what to do with it before sending Breakdown a ping. 

Breakdown, who rarely if ever got any pings from Soundwave sent him a worried response immediately. 

Soundwave considered telling him it was alright, but just sent the picture instead. He’d send it to Knock Out later, when they weren’t on the bridge. 

Breakdown’s response was delayed and a little incomprehensible. His hurried coding along with no formal education and a Velocitronian accent meant Soundwave would have had to stare at it to get a true meaning. He could tell the SUV was happy though. 

The meeting broke and they all went to their respective designations, Lazerbeak returning to her place on Soundwave’s chest.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Knock Out's pack looks like this http://spookyprime.tumblr.com/post/160542812619/what-about-baby-wildbreak-is-being-carried-by


	5. Birthday

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Happy father's day.

Knock Out couldn’t believe how small Wildbreak was. Breakdown was passed out, exhausted after the effort he’d put into bringing the child online. Wildbreak, the sweet little thing, was curled up half transformed on Breakdown’s stomach, asleep as well. 

Knock Out reached out a gentle hand, running his fingertips over his son’s head. He was so little...so unbelievably small and delicate. That something this special could come from him and breakdown was astounding, and he couldn’t bear to take his eyes off the sleeping form.

Wildbreak shifted slightly and the remnants of the egg shell quivered, pulling him a little further into the spherical alt mode. Knock Out gently smoothed over the plating and hummed thoughtfully. He knew the egg kibble would drop soon, it’s purpose for protection within the carrier fulfilled. It was thin plating, brittle enough Knock Out knew it could snap easily, but when it was all connected it was nearly impenetrable due to pressure points and perfectly engineered weight distribution.

He was beautiful. Knock Out couldn’t see any indication of what his main alt would be. He didn’t bear any back nubs, and Knock Out hoped that it meant he hadn’t gained any of Knock Out’s seeker heritage. He’d gone to a lot of effort to distance himself from that past, and while he would still love Wildbreak just as unconditionally and fully if he had been a flier, Knock Out found himself relieved that he bore no traces of it. Given that Breakdown had been forged as a racecar before he bulked up and Knock Out transitioned into one, it made more sense to him that their child should likely be a little racer. 

He did have little dark inner plating on his protoform that may turn into tires, Knock Out really wasn’t sure. At this stage before anything was grown at all, for all he truly knew Wildbreak could be a boat or a beastformer. A racecar was more likely though.

A little racecar baby. How perfect would that be? Knock Out signed and gently rested his head on Breakdown’s stomach. Little yellow optics opened sleepily to look at him, dim and cloudy from disuse. Knock Out chittered lightly at his son, revelling at he was the spitting image of Breakdown. The little thing tried to pull himself out of his roughly assembled alt, mostly just getting his tiny arms out to reach up at Knock Out’s face. 

He grinned and kissed them, letting the small clawed hands pap flat-palmed against his face. “Hi Wildbreak. Hello.” He whispered at his child. “I’m your dad.” 

Wildbreak tried to shift himself, not quite able to stand yet but definitely trying. He let out the tiniest little beep and flopped back down to Breakdown’s stomach, causing the blue bot to shift slightly in his rest. Knock Out scooped him up in one hand, sitting up slowly as to not wake his conjunx. The child stopped squirming and listened to Knock Out’s spark, his EMF full of love and affection and a natural curiosity. “You recognize that, don’t you?” he whispered. “I showed that to you many times when you were still just a spark in your daddy’s chest.” 

Wildbreak’s small engine started to click, what would be a deep thrumming happy rumble in an adult simply a series of tiny purrs from the child. Knock Out couldn’t help but smile stupidly. 

Breakdown shifted slowly beneath them, a single yellow eye cracking open just barely enough to look at Knock Out cradling his son. “S’cute.” He said after a moment.

Knock Out gave him a small smile, “He’s perfect. Have you seen him?” Knock Out turned their son around to face Breakdown.

“A lil before I fell asleep. He looks like me.”

“Like I said, perfect.” 

“Not upset he don’t look like you?” Breakdown laughed, sitting up a little in the berth. 

“Hmm...we don’t really know what he looks like yet. He’s got little rings in his eyes though, that’s pretty cute.”

“Are they red?”

“No, just yellow. It’s cute.”

Wildbreak squirmed in Knock Out’s hands, letting out a series of incredibly small whiny beeps. Knock Out placed him back on Breakdown’s stomach, where he curled up right beneath the breast plate. 

“I’m probably gonna get some more sleep.” Breakdown murmured as he reached a hand up to gently stroke his son’s head. He couldn’t see him through his massive chest but it was nice to have him curled against himself.

“Good, you must be exhausted.” Knock Out stood from the berth. “I’ll be back in a bit. Comm me if you need anything. I’m serious. Maybe comm me even if you don’t I want any excuse to come back here.” He leaned over to kiss Breakdown who was already falling asleep again and then turned, leaving them in the back room of the medbay.


	6. Bath time

Wildbreak, much to Knock Out’s pleasure, loved bath time. Knock Out wasn’t sure if it was because he liked being clean or if was because it gave him Dad’s sole undivided attention for a significant amount of time. Regardless, every evening had Wildbreak tugging at his calf with a polishing cloth in-hand.

Tonight was no exception. They had been watching a holovid on the couch, the living area was small and cramped having been smushed up into the kitchen so Wildbreak could get a room, but it’s close quarters brought a cozy sort of comfort from being so compact. Breakdown had fallen asleep within minutes of turning the movie on, his slowly rumbling engine lulling Knock Out nearly into his own recharge as he rested his head upon Breakdown’s chest. 

Wildbreak sat in Knock Out’s lap, asking the occasional question in stuttered Neocybex about the movie and it’s plot. His speech was improving rapidly, but he still couldn’t quite hit all the harmonics needed to fully gramaticize what he was saying properly. It was incredibly cute to listen to him babble about things in the wrong tense or without proper structure. 

Wildbreak finally squirmed out of his dad’s hold once the film was over, toddling off into his adjacent room. Knock Out yawned, stretching up against Breakdown on the couch. Breakdown didn’t even stir. 

Wildbreak came back seconds later with his little cloth in hand, papping at the side of the couch and beeping excitedly. Knock Out looked at him for a second, knowing he wasn’t able to get himself up onto the couch without assistance. “Hey cutie what have you got?” He asked.

Wildbreak ceased slapping the side of the couch to hold his cloth up, “bath time!”

“So it is! Come here.” He leaned to heft Wildbreak up and back into his lap, settling him comfortably between his legs. 

They didn’t need to be polished every night, Knock Out usually only did himself once a week. Wildbreak didn’t quite understand that though and Knock Out was willing to forgive him in light of good hygiene habits. He’d get it eventually. 

Usually instead he’d actually only get the wax out on Sundays, buffing himself up before doing his son. Nights like these Wildbreak would just be picked over for little dirt particles and have the cloth smoothed over his plating to keep the shine up, not an actual polishing. 

Wildbreak didn’t seem to mind the difference. 

Knock Out started at the top, rubbing Wildbreak's cute little ears before looking over his head and gently picking out any dirt he saw with his claws. For the most part Wildbreak was a remarkably clean child, Knock Out didn’t know if this is because he got maintenance every night or if he was just a more clean kid than average. Most of the vehicon children he gave check ups to in the med bay had a pretty reasonable amount of filth on them. Kids were dirty, it’s what happened. The fact his kid wasn’t a little dirtball was more surprising than if he had been. 

Starscream liked to poke and tease about it, but Knock Out was firmly aware that he liked hanging out with the kid in the lab. It probably wouldn’t happen if Wildbreak took more after Breakdown. 

“Gimme your arm.” he said after a moment, deeming the head done. Wildbreak’s little engine started to purr, what was once a barely audible little squeak now a drumming noise as he grew. It wasn’t deep by any means, but it was a true thrum. “You gonna learn to do this on your own soon?” He asked, picking around the little wrist plates.

Wildbreak shrugged. “I wanna you do it.” 

“Yeah I know. I like having your carrier to it for me too. I understand.” He dropped the little arm in favor of the other one. 

“You...him?” Wildbreak asked, turning himself to the side to make Knock Out’s access to his shoulder easier.

“Mmm, sometimes. Your daddy doesn’t much care for being clean himself.”

An exhausted rumble came from Breakdown, “S’not true.”

Knock Out smiled, dropping Wildbreak’s arm. “I do recall someone’s favorite past time is surface mudding?”

Breakdown gave no response.

Knock out snorted, pulling Wildbreak’s little legs up, “That’s what I thought.” Wildbreak sat good for the rest of it, laughing as Knock Out picked out the ticklish area behind his knees. “Do you like that?” He asked, poking lightly at the little sensitive wires.

Wildbreak squealed and wiggled out of his grip, flopping on the opposite end of the couch with a wailing, “Nooooooooo,” all the while.

Knock Out grinned, dragging his son back by the ankle and starting with the cloth, rubbing the little sensory horns on his head to a shine and working his way down. This was the part Wildbreak liked, and frankly in his own routine this was the part Knock Out liked as well. Though his son was far too young to use a rotary buffer on, he knew the little wiping polishes felt like a massage. 

The little baby was practically asleep by the time Knock Out was done. His engine was making soft nearly inaudible purring and his optics were dim. Knock Out scooped him up in his arms, resettling him against his chest before standing from the couch to put him to bed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Boy, Breakdown sleeps a lot in these.


	7. The mines

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> :U  
> Breakdown is good dad

Wildbreak generally spent his days safely inside the nursery aboard the Nemesis. It wasn’t large by any means as there were very few children at any given time. All the other children were little Vehicon and Eradicon sparklings, and there were only a handful at best. Soundwave had his sent off planet as he worried the twins wouldn’t be safe should something happen to the ship. Breakdown had the same worries that he expressed to Knock Out, but the doctor assured him it was safe.

Breakdown still took Wildbreak with him as much as possible though. Of course the mines were far more dangerous than the nursery, so he had to leave his son aboard the vessel most days; but on the rare occasion he was absolutely positive he was only staying on the surface level mines, he would bring the little bean. 

Wildbreak LOVED it. He adored getting to sit in Breakdown’s chassis and chirp and the miners as Dad did his work. Breakdown had to go around and assess everyone’s jobs and hand out duties to make sure everything ran smoothly. The miners in question also loved to see Wildbreak, often cooing back at the cute red face peeking up out of Breakdown’s chest.

They would poke their long fingers at him to grab with his stubby fat claws and laugh to themselves when he’d try (and fail) to gnaw at them. Breakdown was always paying attention to make sure he didn’t bite anyone, as much as his son truly seemed to want to. He didn’t really have teeth yet. He had the dentae plates, sure, but they were all squishy and weird and Knock Out assured him they were just taking a little longer than normal to harden, but it was still okay. 

So the kid liked to chew. Usually it was just on the inside of Breakdown’s chassis, where the outside bet the inside. That was fine, his son could gumm at that all he wanted, Breakdown didn’t care. But his subordinate’s fingers were not appropriate for that. Knock Out’s hands got enough of the biting back home in the habsuite for all the vehicons combined. 

When he wasn’t trying to slick everything up in a healthy layer of baby bites though, he was intensely curious about his surroundings. He would point at rocks and chirp a question code at Breakdown to ask what they were. Many of them were the exact same type of rock, but Breakdown was always willing to tell him what they were. Usually it was limestone. Most...all of it was limestone, actually. But Wildbreak seemed pleased enough to hear that as an answer each time. 

Eventually Breakdown thought he’d have to take Wildbreak to some kind of space mineral exhibition. Earth had energon, which was the whole reason they were there in the first place, but it lacked many other exciting minerals and rock types that he wanted to show his son. At least Breakdown thought they were exciting. Knock Out considered the whole thing to be rather dull and a waste of Breakdown’s talent when he could be helping out in the medbay. Breakdown didn’t mind so much, though he wouldn’t tell Knock Out that. Over all he’d rather be in the medbay as well, but mining supervision was still better than answering inbound comms like he had to do on the weekends. 

He wouldn’t bring his son to those, simply for the fact there was utterly nothing to do during it. Breakdown considered himself someone who could get bored easy, but he was a saint compared to how easily a child gets bored. No, he wouldn’t inflict the pain of a telephone shift on his son. 

But the mines were fine. Knock Out was generally a little nervous about the idea. Not so much the actual act of taking his son into a mine but moreso that’s where the Autobots tended to attack them at. There was no counter Breakdown could offer him that he knew would appease his conjunx, only tell him that he’d do everything within his power to make sure their son was safe.

Which, luckily, never seemed to be an issue. For all their little spats and fights as far as Breakdown could tell none of the Autobots even realized he had been carrying, let alone that he had a sparkling back home once it was over. He figured if any of them would have noticed it would have been Bulkhead, but the brute never made any mention of it. Breakdown didn’t know if it’s because he genuinely didn’t know or if he was somehow trying to be “sportsmanly” or some other slag.

Regardless, the lack of mentioning of his son by any of the opponents made his mind rest easy. That was something he would rather never have dangled over his head as a potential threat. 

As of the immediate moment though, the little darling was asleep. He was curled up on the left side of his chest, sleeping head just barely poking up out of the top from where he had been watching vehicons. Breakdown knew he liked to sleep there because his engine rumbled, giving off heat and soft vibrations that easily led to gentle sleep. He’d tuckered himself out asking what limestone was twelve times in a row and being fascinated each time. 

Breakdown was just barely able to raise his arm over his chest to scritch gently behind Wildbreak’s little audials. Eventually he’d be too big to sit in his chest like this, but for now Breakdown was thrilled to let it happen.


	8. race car or not

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wasnt gonna post this one because it's kinda. hmm. nothing happens in it and it's weird. breakdownsbuttlights told me to regardless and they own my ass so i basically gotta post it i guess. enjoy nothing. knock out loves his baby.

Knock Out hoped his son was a race car. Of course he’d love him regardless of whatever he was, but he couldn’t help hoping. It was a little hard to tell what a sparkling was going to be when they first came online. They’re blobby and soft and all have the same first alt; just the shell of their egg that they can roll around in for protection. Eventually it falls off, and Knock Out was eager to see what kind of connections were left underneath.

Wildbreak’s shells were coming off in chunks. First his little back plates fell off in Breakdown’s hand, much to his alarm. Next his legs showed up bare one morning and neither parent knew where the shell had gone. His arms and head still had the temporary kibble though, rendering him oddly top heavy.

Being the physician that he was Knock Out did his best to find out any signs of Wildbreak’s alt. There were little black splotches that could be tires at some point, or they could just be decorative plating. He knew Breakdown’s natural alt had some of that on it even if his own didn’t. 

He was relieved to find there were no signs of vestigial wings. He wasn’t exactly ashamed of his seeker heritage but it wasn’t an alt he had felt comfortable in. If his son had been a jet he would have given him love all the same, but he was still relieved his past wasn’t coming back to haunt him. No, Wildbreak was going to be some kind of a ground vehicle. Likely not a boat or a tank, given his size, but a ground vehicle nonetheless.

That still left a lot of options. He was a tiny baby, almost small enough to be considered runty in some ways though knock out would murder a mech in cold blood if they said that about his child. He was small and liked to sleep on Breakdown’s chest, not nearly as into rolling around as most of the sparklings Knock Out had seen. 

Not that he’d really seen that many in the first place. Sparklings were rare for many reasons, biggest reason being the death of the planet that produced most of the sparks. Sparkmerging was rare in general, few mechs were able to trust one another enough to let it happen, and even then the likelihood it would kindle up a little fleck into new life was rarer still. Wildbreak was the first sparkling many of the drones had ever seen in their life.

Which brought Knock Out no further to finding out what his son was going to be. He didn’t have the training to know. Pediatrics wasnt something he’d looked into at all because he genuinely hadnt seen a reason to look into it. And he knew if he talked to anyone about it they would have agreed. Sparklings werent exactly a common enough issue to warrant needing an entire education about on a battlefield. 

Knock Out cursed that decision under his breath. He was a trained medical professional after all, and just had to do his best. No wings, no exterior guns, probably no thrusters, and a tendency to discharge electricity. That was the only clues he had. 

His size gave Knock Out some hope if nothing else. He was just too small to be an SUV or a jeep. He couldn’t imagine anything as big as Breakdown coming from such a small child without at least two aftermarket frame upgrades. Which Breakdown had. 

He could probably teach him to race regardless of whether he was a race car or not. He’d have to go slow if he was some kind of sedan or god forbid a buggy, but he could be taught. Knock Out hoped he’d at least like it, maybe take some of his dad’s interest in the road and enjoy racing like a Velocitronian “ought to” as they used to say. 

But he was an Earthling, wasn’t he? Knock Out didn’t know how he felt about that. He wasn’t born on Velocitron, or on Cybertron. Knock Out suspected he’d probably get Velocitronian citizenship, if it were still a thing, but did wonder idly if he’d be able to wiggle his way into an earthling citizenship. Except Earth didn’t even have that, did they? They weren’t space faring so likely not.

Knock Out didn’t even know who he’d have to talk to about that. Or if he’d even have to talk to anyone at all. Would anyone actually care that he was born on Earth? Or more technically in Earth’s atmosphere? Probably if they just didn’t tell anyone it would be okay.

If nothing else, at least Earth had a lot of easy vehicles to scan. There would actually probably be a larger variety here than if they had been home. The paint colors were not exactly always to Knock Out’s taste all the time but apparently humans only saw in a limited range of light so he supposed it was reasonable, if crude. 

He looked over to the sleeping little blue lump, trying to imagine what he could possibly be. The little rise and fall of his plating with his venting was just so impossibly small. Even if he was a racecar he’d be a small one. Which was fine. He could enter into lightweight competitions. As if those competitions even existed any more. Knock Out felt silly fantasizing about it. 

Breakdown had told him earlier to be prepared in case the little guy doesnt even like racing. He could find it totally boring and uninteresting. Knock Out would disagree wholeheartedly with that feeling but understood it could be a possible reality. He wouldnt push his son into anything he truly hated, but he hoped so dearly that he wouldn’t hate it.

Wildbreak yawned from his place on Breakdown’s stomach, giving Knock Out a sleepy beep hello. Knock Out smiled back, knowing regardless of what he turned out to be it’d work out alright.


	9. Ravine

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Wildbreak steals some shit and falls in a hole

Wildbreak stood at the edge of the little ravine, staring longingly down into it. It was not a particularly deep ditch, but it was enough that he hesitated to go down into it and retrieve the little thing he had stolen. He didn't even really want it back, not really, but he knew if Knock Out got home and it wasn't there then he'd have to fess up and admit he'd taken it in the first place.

It was an Autobrand, not Knock Out's but apparently Breakdown's from forever ago, or so he'd been told the first time he'd taken it. He didn't know why Knock Out was keeping it in a little case in his night stand, considering that it was Breakdown's in the first place. He didn't know if Breakdown just hadn't wanted it or if Knock Out took it but it captured Wildbreak's interest none the less. So he'd taken it to get a better look at it. 

He wasn't really even snooping. Knock Out called it snooping but Wildbreak felt 'snooping' implied he was going to do something bad. He didn't intend to do anything bad, he just saw something he liked and took it. That was all. That wasn't that bad. There were far worse bad things he could be doing, looking at things wasn't bad. 

Maybe it was pretty bad. He stuck his heels into the side of the ditch and tried to scoot down into it, sliding down into the mud at the bottom with a disgusted shiver. He'd really need to clean after this given how repulsive Earth mud was. Yet the little Autobrand still shined bright as ever as he picked it up, stuffing it deep into his subspace where he wouldn't be likely to fumble it again. 

He hadn't really even meant to take it out of his parents room, they had just come home at the time he happened to be in there. He knew he shouldn't have been looking around at the things that weren't his but the little cabin space they occupied was god awfully small. He had his own room as a baby, but as he got older Knock Out and Breakdown had taken back the nursery from him on account he never slept in there anyway, and let him have the little entrance way into the habsuite. 

But he always had a tendency to get into trouble like this. It was never things he really meant to do bad they just wound up that way anyway. He could hear them talk at night and Breakdown would laugh, telling Knock Out that he was just too much like him. Attracting trouble when he doesnt need to be. Wildbreak didn't know how he felt about that; He didn't think he attracted too much trouble, it was more of an issue that there was only ever trouble around when you live on a warship with little to no other kids your age. 

He looked back up to the top of the Earthen ravine, wondering how he was gonna get out. Getting into it had been the easy part, just slide down and grab the stupid thing. But now he was gonna have to climb. He took too much after his sire with his unwillingness to get dirty. Maybe Breakdown was right. He swore and shoved his fist into the wall, pulling up and seeing if he could get some leverage to get out of the ditch, only coming back with a fistful of mud.

He looked to the sides of the ravine, wondering if it was possible he could walk around the problem, maybe find a place where it went under one of the little human roads and pull himself out that way. Of course he knew the most direct route would be to call his carrier and have Breakdown just come pull him out but he'd rather die than have to admit he got himself stuck in a long hole in the ground. He transformed and started to drive along the bottom, hoping that it would at least keep some of the mud off of his plating if he kept himself elevated.

It worked for the most part, the walls slowly got lower but not really to the point he would be able to climb out of it, he'd need some kind of boost. He rolled back into his root mode, giving an aggravated hum and looking up at the top of the walls. It had to end at some point. It was just a manmade ditch to hold rainwater he could get out of it somehow. Surely the little humans fell into them sometimes, right? There would have to be a fail safe to get them out. 

He tried to scrabble up the side again, pulling and kicking at the soft mud to bring himself higher than before, but eventually slid right back down to the bottom of it. He glowered and swore some of the things he'd heard Breakdown say when he broke plates. He could get out of a ditch. He could!

He wanted to ask why Knock Out had the autobrand. Why would he keep something like that? Maybe Breakdown had given it to him. That was a thought that hadn't really crossed Wildbreak's mind before. Had he really stolen a gift? That made him feel pretty bad except he didn't even know if it was a gift! There was no reasonable explanation he could figure why! His sire wasn't sentimental, Breakdown was. Breakdown was the one who kept pictures and mementos and little trinkets of things that had happened in the past. Breakdown was the one who would keep something like this so why would Knock Out have it? Some kind of stupid declaration probably. Wildbreak rolled his eye at the idea as he continued to walk.

Maybe that's why he'd given it to Knock Out? Some proof of something? Maybe that he was done with the Autobots for good, or that he wanted Knock Out to hold onto it in case he wasn't? He didn't know and it was starting to piss him off to a point he was beginning to not care. Scrabbling up the side again till he got his foot on a rock,he actually got some leverage to heave himself up over the side and land in a giant whuff of wet grass.

He groaned at the thought of getting up and going back to the ship just to take a shower and put the stupid trinket back and pretend none of this happened in the first place. That was the appropriate course of action though, he knew that. Maybe he'd ask about what it meant but he knew he wouldn't. There would be no point to it.


	10. Chapter 10

A human AU chapter. Baby’s first halloween.

\--

“Isn’t he...maybe a little young for halloween?” Knock Out asked, pulling the cape over his shoulders and adjusting the ties at the front.

“He’s not gonna remember it, but that’s not the point!” Breakdown laughed, “It’d really be a shame if we didn’t get pictures of this.” 

Wildbreak was currently being held in breakdown’s arms, a little sleepy and drooley but all together content to sit pretty in his little pumpkin costume. Knock Out had picked it out as a joke but Breakdown enthusiastically insisted they take him out for halloween. 

Knock Out was putting the finishing touches on his own last minute costume, a closet vampire made out of things he already owned, a cape he stole from starscream, and some dollar store fake teeth.

Breakdown on the other hand had actually went out and gotten his own costume at the time he got his son’s. It was some strange off-brand superman costume he’d ripped the front of open so his chest popped out. Knock Out had thought it was kinda sexy till he realized Breakdown 100% intended to go out in public wearing it and then he’d felt a little embarrassed. Breakdown could do whatever he wanted though, that wasn’t Knock Out’s place of judgement.

His own costume was coming along better than he’d thought. It looked a little ridiculous in it’s own right but he was fine with it. He stuck his tongue out at breakdown through the fake teeth and Wildbreak burbled happily, finding it funny. “Hey thport you ready to go? You cant eat any oth the candy but im thure your dad wont have any ithueth with that.” he took the teeth out and grimaced, tossing them onto the bed and shaking his head in a clear no.

Breakdown laughed and switched Wildbreak to the other arm, “I don’t know that he’d know the difference anyway. He can’t eat a solid yet it won’t bother him.”

“You can’t eat it all either.” Knock Out scoffed.

Breakdown put on a fake pout and turned to his son, “You hear that? He says I can’t have it either.” Wildbreak squealed in response, laughing at the silly voice he’d used.

Rolling his eyes Knock Out took their son from him, holding him against his chest as he handed Breakdown the bag they’d be putting it into. “I havent done this since jr. high, you know?”

“What trick or treating?”

“Well, yeah. I can’t just go door to door as an adult.” He gave Breakdown a good look over. “I’m sure that didn’t stop you.”  
“Nah, we still went when we were in college.”

Knock Out scoffed. “You’re huge, how did that even work? You didn’t look like a kid at all.”

“I put on a mask and said I was in highschool. Some highschool kids are huge.”

“Most highschool kids dont go trick or treating either, but that’s your deal.” Knock Out laughed. “I guarantee they knew you were a grown-ass adult.”

“Oh, probably. Didn’t stop me though.” Breakdown grinned and ruffled his son’s head. “We good to go?”

“Yeah i’m not gonna wear the fangs they’re awful. We can head out.”

Breakdown snapped a few quick pictures on his phone before they left. 

\--

They were right about the idea that Wildbreak didn’t really get it. He was too young to really enjoy that kind of thing and spent most of the night asleep in Knock Out’s arms as Breakdown went door to door. Knock Out really didn’t have the heart to chastise him about how ridiculous this was given that people really would coo at the baby and then give them candy, as if a baby could actually eat candy. 

Like, they had to know they were going to eat it, right? There was no way a kid who was barely older than an infant was going to be eating stuff like this. It amazed Knock Out, really. 

Breakdown looked like he couldn’t have been happier.

\--

They went home with half the sack full and Wildbreak finally starting to wake up, just in time for the fun to be over. They both teased him about it in words they knew he didn’t understand yet and laughed when he giggled at them calling him silly.


	11. altmode

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> baby has an alt mode

Wildbreak was about the age he was going to start trying out his alt mode. Knock Out was deeply invested and curious what he was going to be. Breakdown was interested, of course, but not as involved with it as his husband was. 

It was clear he wasn’t going to be a flight model. He was fat and round like his carrier, and not at all streamlined for flight. He liked being thrown in the air as did most babies, but would panic if thrown too high, which alone would mark that he wasn’t meant to fly even if he didn’t show any physical signs of it.

No, he had little rubber baubles forming in his shoulders which were a distinct sign of a ground alt. He was born awful small but did grow fast, and Knock Out rather suspected he was going to be some kind of sports car. He had wanted a little sport car so badly.

He would love him even if he wasn’t, of course. But having a kid he could teach to race would be just perfect. He even had the small makings of a tiny spoiler on his back. Knock Out knew that was going to be absolutely precious when it finally grew in. 

His colors were just about all set. He was deep blue and orange like his carrier with seemingly random patches of red plating. Knock Out wondered if it would always look so strangely patchwork but didn’t comment on it, not actually finding anything wrong with it other than thinking it was slightly odd. The colors went together nicely and there wasn’t enough of the red to actually make anything clash. It was just strange.

He picked his son up and spun the tiny little tires in his shoulders, making him giggle. He couldn’t tell yet where the other tires were going to be but these ones were actually nearly done. Maybe they would be in his feet, that was fairly common and where both Knock Out and Breakdown held their own. 

He tickled him a little and looked them over, not really seeing any grooves on the bottom of the little protoform plating. It.../was/ possible he was a two wheeler, which Knock Out was contemplating. There was enough room in those tiny legs to hold a tire but also they didn’t actually show anything. 

Primus he was a chunky baby. Knock Out blew him a raspberry on his belly to make him laugh before hoisting him up onto his shoulder, letting him curl up in the space between his pauldron and his neck. 

\--

Breakdown was with him the first time he transformed three weeks later. He was outside the mines, playing with one of the vehicons on their break when he did it, zipping around in a little circle as if it was the most normal and natural thing to happen. Which, really, it was, but Breakdown expected him to maybe panic or something the first time he did it considering he was a rather panickey kid.

But no, he was watching a tiny blue race car make sloppy donuts with a vehicon chasing him. He let them go for another five minutes or so before the break ended and Breakdown knew they had to get back to work. The vehicon left a little sadly and Breakdown was alone with a tiny sadly honking car.

“Come on bud, we gotta go.” He told his son, picking him up by the side. 

Wildbreak just beeped again, letting out a stifled little honk after.

“You gotta change back it’s kinda hard to carry you in your alt.” Breakdown told him, holding him up by the middle.

Wildbreak did not change out.

Breakdown sighed and stuffed him under one arm, realizing he probably didnt even know what he was asking of him. The rest of his shift was carried out with the little car Honking excitedly at everyone and turning his headlights off and on at them since he’d learned how to do that a few days before. They thought it was cute but Breakdown was getting a little tired of it, and knew it wouldn’t be ending any time soon.

\--

Knock Out practically screamed in delight when Breakdown came home toting the little car under his arm. Wildbreak beeped back rapidly and happily at the praise, spinning his little wheels eagerly.

Knock Out held his face in his hands out of his sheer delight, and urged Breakdown to put him down. He did so and let their son run tiny little loops around the habsuite as Knock Out urged him on, loving the little show he was putting on for them and clapping whenever he did something particularly cute.

\--

It was less cute after it had been 5 hours and they were ready to go to bed with a small racecar still running around the habsuite excitedly as if he’d just been set down. 

“We can’t put him in the crib like this he’ll tear it up.” Knock Out chewed on his lip.

“I know. He’s not gonna stop though he’s too excited.”

“I mean, good for him, but daddy wants sleep. Hey! Baby!” he called to his son for what felt like the billionth time, “I’d like to sleep now!”

Breakdown laughed, knowing it would have absolutely no effect on him. He stooped over to pick up Wildbreak by the middle, holding him gently but firmly in place as he carried him. 

The little wheels still spun like he was running but he protested being picked up in short angry honks. Knock Out wondered idly if they could just wrap him up really tight in some metal mesh and hope he’d eventually just fall asleep. 

\--

After maybe thirty minutes of being held at arms length by Breakdown he finally transformed back, flipping over and landing on his aft on their berth. He made some kind of upset baby mumbling and looked at them expectantly. 

“I dont know what you want but it’s bed time.” Knock Out picked him up lovingly. “So you’re getting bed.” 

Wildbreak beeped in response, giving them an enormous yawn that Knock Out took as an agreement.


	12. sick

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is gonna have a sequel whenever I get around to writing it. I was gonna make it it's own fic but I realized I have this drabble collection so I may as well just put it into here.

There were no windows in their small habsuite but they both knew it was early morning when the soft cries of their son finally woke them up. He had been getting better, not needing as much attention during the night as before. Knock Out missed a good night’s sleep. He’d had a few, thanks to Breakdown’s attentiveness and his son’s growth, but he was still exhausted.

Breakdown rolled over, pressing his face into the pillow next to him. He certainly didn’t want to get up either but he knew it was his night to do so, Knock Out having been the one to take care of him last time. He grumbled for a moment before he felt Knock Out press one of his back tires against his face, pushing on him with the soft rubber. “‘M goin’!” He grumbled and rolled over, taking his time to leave the berth.

Knock Out didn’t reply but did send a little bit of gratitude through his field. 

Breakdown rubbed the back of his head and entered their son’s room. Wildbreak seemed fine, he was just awake and fussy for some reason Breakdown had yet to asses. He was sitting up and crying rather hard, enough Breakdown picked him up first thing and shushed him, holding his child to his chest.

He was strangely warm, and had a slight rasp to his intakes which was followed by a cough that Breakdown knew from his limited nursing experience meant there was fluid build up in there. He sighed and started to rock him, hoping the movement would calm him somewhat. He was sick, that was fine. They could take care of a sickness, that wasn’t the worst thing to ever happen.

Breakdown let the little field tangle with his own. The small signals he was putting out were fuzzy and miscommunicated but Breakdown accepted them none-the-less. He made sure his own field was content and even, not wanting to work his son up even more. He shot Knock Out off a comm, ::He’s sick. :( ::

It was a brief moment before Breakdown got a reply of, ::Medbay?? :0 ::

::No, our son.::

::!!!:: -- ::Do I need to come in?::

Wildbreak had finally turned his crying into just sniffles and clung to Breakdown’s arm, clearly not wanting him to leave. ::Probably should.::

It was only a matter of seconds before Knock Out’s head peeked in the doorway. “Hey guy~” he coo’d at the little bitlet. “Someone feeling bad?”

Wildbreak shoved his face into Breakdown’s arm, giving them a sad warble followed by a cough. Knock Out stroked his back and opened up a small port on his wrist. He didn’t have any fancy medical equipment built into his servos like ratchet did, but he did have a few baseline things like a thermometer and a few other simple tools. 

Wildbreak coughed as Knock Out took the temperature, sticking the little rod into one of his transformation seams. “Well someone’s got a fever.” he commented after a moment, pulling the rod back out.

Breakdown nodded, “He’s got some fluid in there which is...maybe why he’s coughing? I don’t think he can clear his cooling system yet. I don’t know that he’s old enough.”

“Maybe.” Knock Out reached out to pull their son off of Breakdown, cradling him gently. He poked around his vents, making his son cough again and start to whine with the threat of more tears. “Don’t cry sweetheart.” he whispered, needing to finish his brief inspection.

Wildbreak did manage to hold back most of his tears till Knock Out was done and handed him back to Breakdown. He made little grabby hands as he was set back in Breakdown’s waiting arms, burying himself into the crook of Breakdown’s hold.

“What’s he got?” Breakdown finally asked after a second of both of them standing there watching their son.

“Oh, I have no idea. I’m really not that kind of doctor.” Knock Out responded unenthusiastically. “I don’t really know much of anything about sicknesses.” He shrugged a little and placed a hand on Wildbreak’s back.

Breakdown stared at him in silence before responding with, “You don’t know?”

“Of course I don’t. You know I was a plastic surgeon before the war, and I now specialize in amputative operations and putting Starscream’s limbs back on. I never really learned anything about pathology in school because I didn’t need it. I mean, I forced myself to learn a little preventative pathology for surgeries where I didn’t have a nurse but. You know.”

Breakdown could have slapped himself. Of course Knock Out wouldn’t know. 

“But he’s not gonna die or anything.” Knock Out spoke again. “The fever isn’t that high and he’s still got air circulating through his vents. He’s just gonna be sick for a while. Aren’t you? Aren’t you going to be sick.” he tried to make a fun voice for Wildbreak that was just met with a wet cough and more whining. “Someone will just have to stay with him so he doesn’t purge everywhere.”

“But I can’t call off from work tomorrow we’re doing mine placements.” Breakdown started to worry again.

“So I’ll stay. I have a favor to call in for Starscream anyway for redoing his paint the other day. It’ll be fine.”

“I don’t think Megatron is going to let you off work when I’m not going to be there to fill in the medbay.” Breakdown laughed. 

“I...hmm.” Knock Out trailed off, thinking about it. Wildbreak flopped over and grabbed Knock Out’s hand, pulling one of his fingers into his mouth to chew on now that he was calmed down somewhat. “I guess I could take him with me. Let him cough on some vehicons for good luck.”

“That’s gross.” Breakdown frowned. “Don’t do that. If he gets any of them sick you know it’ll be bad news.”

Knock Out removed his hand from Wildbreak’s mouth and waved it, “I don’t think that’s likely. If they have any good-standing nanoimmunity I don’t think they’ll catch this. He’s only sick because he doesn’t.”

Breakdown just kept his frown. “I guess so. Should he come with us? I still got...Three hours to sleep.” he said as he checked his chronometer. “And I know you want them too.”

Knock Out took him from Breakdown’s arms and placed him beside his own pauldron, patting his back gently. “You know I want that recharge. I don’t know that he’ll be okay for it though.” Knock Out started to leave the room, taking their son with him. “Only one way to find out.”

Wildbreak warbled excitedly at getting to spend the night in their bed which turned into a series of coughs that in turn, turned into the start of another bout of crying. They both shushed him gently as they laid down to sleep the rest of the night. Wildbreak tucked himself right up into Breakdown’s middle, shoving his face against the plating and venting heavily. 

Knock Out couldn’t understand how that was comfortable but let him be, patting his back gently whenever new coughs rose up.

**Author's Note:**

> Feel free to send me a request here or at http://spookyprime.tumblr.com


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